Method of producing watchcase-bows.



H. L. JEFFERY.

METHOD OF PRODUCING WATGHUASE BOWS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1911.

1,061,080. Patented May 6, 1913.

coLuMulA PLANOGRAPH 10., WASHINGTON D c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD L. JEFFERY, 015' FORT THOMAS, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE WADSWORTHWATCH CASE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY.

METHOD OF PRODUCING WATCHGASE-BOWS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1913.

Application filed November I0, 1911. Serial No. 659,597.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD L. JEFFERY, acitizen of the United States,residing at Fort Thomas, in the county of Campbell and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theMethod of Producing VVatchcase-Bows, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a novel method of forming watch case bows.

The object of my invention is to make a filled watch case bow, includingcross bars and nibs, of one piece by a. single operation without havingany base metal exposed at any point and also to make a solid watch casebow of one piece, includin cross bars and nibs, at a single operation.

My invention consists in the process as herein set forth and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 shows a filled bar or wire of metal partly inelevation and partly in section; Fig. 2 is a view of the same showingprecious metal swaged or drawn over the ends to completely cover thefilling; Fig. 3 shows the wire bent in shape to be placed in the die;Fig. 4: is a side view showing one-half of the mold with the wire placedtherein; Fig. 5 is a top view of the die with the wire placed therein asshown in Fig. 4:; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the bow after it hasbeen compressed to conform to the shape of the die.

In order to produce watch case bows in accordance with my invention, Imake filled wire consisting of base metal 1 covered with precious metalor gold 2 except at the ends and then counter-sink the ends of same soas to remove some of the base metal as shown at 3 and 4c, leaving aSharp gold edge 5 to the wire, as shown in Fig. 1. I then swage thisgold edge so that it entirely covers the ends of the wire as shown inFig. 2. I next bend this wire to suitable shape as shown in Fig. 3 andplace it in a split die 6, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, said die beingmade of any suitable shape which can be any shape desired by the trade.This die is provided with a cavity 7 having outer openings 8 and 9 andinternal lateral recesses 10 and 11, said recesses conforming to theshape of the cross bars and nibs respectively. The two parts of the dieare securely held together in fixed relation and pressure issimultaneously applied to each end of the wire and the surplus length ofsaid wire is caused to flow into said cavity and recesses in send splitdie thus forming the bow includlng the cross bars 12 and nibs 13,complete ready for polishing at a single operation. I am thus enabled toproduce an entirely new design in watch case bows at a single operation.This bow differs from all other filled watch case bows inasmuch as thereis absolutely no portion which is not covered by gold or other preciousmetal. l/Vhile the objectis to make a filled watch case bow out of onepiece, the same process may also be used to make bows of solid gold orother precious metals.

My improved method of forming the bow, including the cross bars andnibs, at a sin gle operation in the die, greatly reduces the cost ofconstruction and renders the work more accurate and perfect anddispenses with the cost of skilled labor for this purpose. Theadvantages which I obtain from this method of constructing the bow arerapidity, simplicity and economy in its construction, entirely coveringthe composition or base metal with the gold or other precious metals,forming the cross bars and nibs into shape after the bow has beenotherwise bent into proper shape or making the metal flow into the formof cross bars and nibs after the main body of the how has been shaped,thus forming the nibs to enter the pendant and hold the bows in placethereon and at the same time forming an integral cross on each end ofthe bow.

In the formation of the bow according to my process, the pressure orforce for forming the cross bars and nibs is applied directly upon theends of the how after it is given its final form with the exception ofthe cross bars and this force or pressure causes the metal to flow intocavities which produces said integral crosses and nibs at a singleoperation and completes said bow for use with the exception ofpolishing. All other watch case bows having integral cross bars are bentinto shape after said bar has been formed. My bows will be of absoluteuniformity because of the fact that they will be absolutely finished inthe die with the ex ception of polishing. In all bows formed by bendingor cutting or both there is a great variation in the shape of thefinished bow.

In the construction of bows in accordance with my invention, the wire isfirst bent to substantially the proper shape so that it can be readilyplaced in the die, as shown in Fig. 3. The pressure or force applied tothe ends of the bow not only causes the metal to flow to fill thecavities for the cross bars 12 but also compresses the metal of theentire bow to give it the exact shape of the die, which operation has atendency to stiffen or planish the bow and it also insures uniformity ofsize and shape of each bow in its completed form. Forming the nibs 18 inthe die during the operation of forming the cross bars, dispenses withthe require ment of any skill or accuracy on the part of the operator.Furthermore, this method of forming the nibs insures uniformity oflength and diameter of the same so as to fit the hole in the pendantsnugly and avoid the liability of accidental disengagement with thependant and thereby prevents damage to the watch case or movementstherein, whereas when the projections or nibs are formed by cuttingaway, there is danger and liability of cutting away too much so as tocause a certain amount of play between the nibs and the socket of thependant, thus reducing the size of the nibs to such an ax tent thatunder slight stress or strain it will readily disengage or spring fromthe socket.

Another advantage of my invention over one depending upon the skill ofthe operator is that the operator often becomes careless and fails tocut away the metal to form the nibs of suflicient length, thereby makingit easy to twist the bow from the socket of the pendant.

Another advantage which I secure by this method of forming the bow is anovel and peculiar formation of the design in which the ends of the bowappear to extend through the cross bar 12 at substantially right anglesthereto in such a manner as to produce a very ornamental effect.

It will be noted that my method enables me to construct the devicecomplete at a single operation including the exact formation and shapeof the bow, cross bars and nibs and in the case of a filled bow all theexterior parts including the nibs which enter the pendant are coveredwith precious metal. I

My invention is capable of some modification without departure from itsspirit or scope and I do not desire to be confined to the exact methoddescribed, but

What I claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is: v

The herein described method of forming a watch case bow which consistsin making a filled wire, counter-sinking its ends, swaging said ends toentirely cover the filling,

bending said wire, )lacing it into a die and exerting pressute upon theends of said wire whereby the metal is caused to flow into the shape ofthe cavity of the die and forming the bow, cross bars and nibs at asingle operation, substantially as set forth and for the purposesspecified.

HAROLD L. J EFFERY. lVitnesses J AMES N. RAMsnY, ARTHUR lV.VVADSWORTI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

